US, Nov. 2 -- The Cayman Islands have an encouraging tourism story to tell. More visitors are arriving, overnight tourism is recovering, and hotel room revenue is rising faster than stayover arrivals.

But an island can become more successful on a tourism spreadsheet while becoming less enjoyable for the people who live there-or for the visitors paying to experience it.

That is why former Dutch finance minister Hans Hoogervorst's warning to Curacao, Aruba and Bonaire deserves attention in Cayman. His argument is that destinations should pursue greater returns from tourism while protecting nature, infrastructure and residents' quality of life.

Cayman's evidence suggests a different starting point: attracting affluent travelers is already...